November news
stuff to get excited about
Hi everyone, Happy November.
I hope you’re all doing well. My last newsletter was six weeks ago. It’s amazing how much can happen in a short time. I went through the last weeks of September feeling very excited for the new crops of grain from Cedar Isle Farm to arrive. I had growing optimism and a slightly refreshed feeling. I realize now that September isn’t just the start of something for academics, it’s the beginning of this year’s grain crops making their way to our plates. Maybe that’s part of what Thanksgiving is about? I like the excitement around new crops, it brings with it so much opportunity and discovery. Maybe it makes sense I feel this way, so much of this is new to me.
Jim and Hannah dropped off our first 200kg of PPB Fraser Red, hard red winter wheat, at the end of September. Hannah also brought two giant sheafs for us to display. One of them the Fraser Red, the other is Skagit 1109, developed at Washington State University. Fraser Red is a cultivar, Skagit 1109 is a population. Both of them are the products of research done by universities in organic agriculture. It’s been wonderful to be able to have the examples to help illustrate the work taking place in the fields. If you want to learn more about Participatory Plant Breeding Program, you can click here. There you can find a pdf to Michelle Carkner’s thesis.
We milled the Fraser wheat the day we got it, even though we didn’t need to. We were just so excited to try out the new crops. Eli milled it, and was first to mix it. When he first formed the dough he the mixer, he exclaimed “oh, the smell!”. The aroma from our new crops is incredible. The evocative characteristics of whole grain flour will never get old to us. There was a buzz in the bakery as we started the process of understanding how to best work with our new flour. I couldn’t help but reflect on how different the attitude and excitement about the new crops were. For so long, the only time I would hear a new crop referenced, was by someone blaming a bad bake on the new crop of wheat. In so many bakeries, they open their same bags of white flour, and never get hit with a new aroma. The flavour of grain doesn’t get discussed in those bakeries. At TWG, we exist to celebrate the nuanced complexities of whole grains, while benefiting from their nutritional value and environmental impact. Having our new crops come in helped reinforce that.
Today, in fact, is our first day that we will be vending at Vancouver Farmer’s Markets. We have five dates this month, and four next month, split between three markets. Today, we will be at the Downtown Farmer’s Market from 2-6. If you are in Vancouver, we hope you will be able to come support us! We will post future dates on our instagram and our website.
We also have two classes this month, November 22 and 26, and another of December 17. These classes and market dates are so important to help ensure TWG can become a permanent part of Vancouver’s baking scene. Please join us. Register here, or reach out to book a private group class.
I’m excited to have so many ways for people to try our baking, and to support our business. We have over 100 gift cards still, and I hope to sell all of them before the year is out. Please consider us for corporate gifts or activities this year. We would love the chance to do more catering, host more team-building bread classes, and help other businesses celebrate the holidays. Please pass along our information if you know someone who might be interested.
In just over one month, the bakery will celebrate its 1st anniversary. Most of the time I am too busy to feel accomplished, but the thought of one-year gives me pause, and a rush of positive emotions pour through. I am so proud of the bakery we’ve created, and the team that operates it everyday with me. Our team has more passion, talent, and compassion than one business deserves. It is a team like none other. We have been together since Day One, and we are all still together. They have helped me with the planning, creating systems, installing equipment, and seeing to every detail in our work, from grain to loaf. They figured things out on their own in our first few months, while Kat and I were figuring out how to be parents. I could burst I am so full of pride and admiration for the work they do, who they are, and what they bring into our space everyday. If you are a customer, I think you know what I’m talking about.
Last night we had the chance to get together as a group for the first time since opening. It was great to be in the same room as everyone.
As we close in on the end of the year, I hope it won’t be the last time we’re able to get together as a group. We are working on our celebration plans for our 1-year, and our holiday offering. I hope there will be lots more for us to celebrate. I hope you can be there, and am so grateful for your interest and support in our work.
Sending love and best wishes to you all.
Tommy
Thank you for this wonderful newsletter, especially the details about receiving and milling the Cedar Isle harvest. We've been part of their CSA for years now and love those folks and their amazing grains. Local oats for breakfast, what a concept! And imagine our delight when we learned that you were using their grains in your bread. And what great news that you'll be at farmers markets. Your bread is the best in town. Keep up the wonderful work, we appreciate you and your team!!
Congratulations on the first market and all the amazing stuff you all do. 🙌🏾